Running a successful live video campaign isn’t easy…

Unless you’re GaryVee, Tai Lopez, or another huge public figure, you can’t always live stream from a business page whenever you “feel like it” and expect tonnes of viewers.

On the contrary, there are times when a spontaneous live broadcast is crucial.

Most of you are going to need to plan in advance, so, as mentioned in the title, this blog will give you a complete breakdown on running a successful live video campaign!

Let’s begin with a few of our own examples

Example 1 – #DigitalRant

Back in October 2016, we hosted our first #DigitalRant where Qasim Majid and Naeem Arif discussed the state of the digital marketing industry.

They were mostly addressing all the charlatans who claim they are “social media gurus” or how they can “grow your company tenfold”.

This was a planned event.

Example 2 – Trump ‘n Toblerone

The world went batsh*t crazy when Donald Trump was elected president, and even more so when Toblerone reduced the chocolate content in their bars… #firstworldproblems.

We decided to give our own take on the whole situation, which was all very last minute!

People loved the video and the engagement backed this up.

Above are two perfect examples of how both spontaneous and planned live video campaigns both work.

What do I need to do to run a successful live video campaign?

I’m going to be breaking it down into 6 simple steps.

1) Communicate the time and date effectively –

To get people to join you when you’re online, you need to ensure that everyone knows when your live campaign is taking place. In every post, the date and time MUST be mentioned. People forget, period. It’s your job to remind them…

2) Plan and schedule content –

There’s nothing more relaxing than having your campaign go out and everything running smoothly. Get all the videos, blogs, flyers done before and scheduled in. Trust me on this one, you don’t want to be doing them day by day, it can become very tedious.

3) Mix up the type of promotional content –

Remember, not everyone likes to read. Alternatively, some people prefer reading. To cover all bases during promotion, push out flyers, blogs, videos and even simple text statuses (although these are proven to be less effective).

4) Ask for likes, comments, shares –

Heard of the phrase “ask and you shall receive”? This is particularly true when you’re online. One definitive example of this is YouTube. Almost every video you watch, you have the host asking people to like and comment on their videos.

Why? IT WORKS!

Whilst you’re filming, encourage users to engage with you.

Naturally, Q&A sessions will be more engaging than others, so that’s something to consider.

5) Host it at an appropriate time –

For example, hosting a Facebook live event on a Friday evening probably isn’t the best of ideas. People are usually out drinking/partying. This is not to say it won’t be successful, it’s just likely to not do as well as it could. Be wary of times where you know most people won’t be accessible.

6) Breakdown what they can expect –

Some people won’t want to take the risk of joining unless they know you’re covering a useful topic. Whilst you’re promoting your live video, it’s useful to give people a snippet or overview of what you’re covering. Don’t give away too much though, and maybe save a nice surprise for the video too!

How to do I make the actual live video successful?

I’m feeling quite generous today, so I’m going to be giving you all a further 3 point to consider when the time has come to go live.

1) Check your connection –

This one is simple and doesn’t need much explaining. It’s happened to us in the past, so please learn from our mistakes and check you have a reliable connection before going ahead with your live stream!

2) Write an amazing headline –

Entice viewers by writing a compelling headline. However, stray from being “clickbait” or exaggerating too much as it will turn viewers away from your broadcast and potentially all other live videos you do in the future.

3) Engage with live viewers –

As people join your broadcast, give them a shoutout. Monitor your live video as people may be making comments or asking questions. If you prove to be helpful, you’ll certainly be seeing those “repeat customers” back next time.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Of course, there are going to be advantages and disadvantages when running a successful live video campaign, so let me break it down:

Advantages:

Chance to capture a large live audience – providing you’ve clearly communicated the time and date of this event.

High engagement rate – Because more people know when to tune in, that means you’re more likely to get in them likes!

Getting to know your audience – A live video is personal to say the least. People get to see the face(s) of your brand and it’s easy to resonate with other humans.

Potential to become a regular thing – If your live video campaign is received well with your audience, who’s to say you can’t make it a bi-weekly or monthly event? Something to certainly consider.

Disadvantages:

Timely – Yes it will be timely. Scheduling posts, editing videos, creating flyers and all sorts of other content doesn’t happen instantly. Not to mention all the strategy

Resource intensive – As well as timely, it will drain a lot of resources. Thankfully, we have tools like editing apps for both video and imagery which we can access at the palm of our hands.

It may not “work” – As with everything, there is always a chance it simply won’t work. This shouldn’t dishearten folks though, if you try everything once and give up you won’t even become a jack of all trades, you’ll become something much less.

As you can see, running a successful live video campaign isn’t easy, but can certainly be rewarding. If you want any more free advice, join our latest Facebook group where we answer ALL of your digital marketing questions! Click the flyer below and request to join NOW…